the industrial process for the production of ammonia (NH3) by the direct combination of nitrogen
and hydrogen in the presence of an iron CATALYST. The process gives a maximum yield (4o per cent) using relatively low temperatures and high pressures. The Haber process is important in industrial chemistry since it is the most economic way to produce ammonia, from which fertilizers are made.
Taken from
Dictionary of Science__________________________The
Haber process, also called the
Haber–Bosch process, is the
nitrogen fixation reaction of
nitrogen gas and
hydrogen gas, over an enriched iron
catalyst, to produce
ammonia. The Haber process is important because ammonia is difficult to produce on an industrial scale, and the fertilizer generated from the ammonia is responsible for sustaining one-third of the Earth's population. Despite the fact that 78.1% of the
air we breathe is
nitrogen, the gas is relatively unreactive because nitrogen molecules are held together by strong
triple bonds. It was not until the early 20th century that this method was developed to harness the atmospheric abundance of nitrogen to create ammonia, which can then be
oxidized to make the
nitrates and
nitrites essential for the production of nitrate
fertilizer and
munitions.
Taken from
Wikipedia
